Till not too long ago, Belgium were among the also-rans of world hockey; an inconsequential side who only made up numbers. They seemed content playing that role as well. In a nation obsessed with football, hockey had little space in public conciousness.

But that perception has changed, and how! Rank outsiders only a few years ago, it won’t be an over-statement to say that when the Champions Trophy begins in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, the Red Lions will start as favourites alongside Australia, Germany and Holland. The first hint of a turnaround can be traced back to 2011, when Belgium stunned India in the final of the Champions Challenge. The thrilling 4-3 result saw Belgium claim their first major FIH title since 1920, when they won a bronze medal at the Antwerp Olympics.

Much of the improvement in the national squad is due to similar progress in the domestic league. “The Belgian league is among the strongest in the world. Some of the top European players play there and the level of competitions is quite high,” India captain Sardar Singh, who had played for Brussels-based club HC Lauvens in 2010, had said.

“Technically, it is far more superior to our domestic competitions. Also the presence of the world’s best players has helped their local talent a lot,” he said.

The domestic clubs invested heavily in acquiring the services of several renowned coaches who were appointed as technical directors. Legendary coaches Marc Lammers and Colin Batch have subsequently played a pivotal role in player development, triggering a change of fortunes for the tiny nation. The clubs also developed a uniform playing structure that helped them streamline talent and nurture them.

Breakthrough team

A recent player survey voted them the breakthrough team of the year and hardly any eyebrows were raised when their star player Tom Boon became the highest paid player in the Hockey India League when he was picked for a cool $103,000 by Dabang Mumbai.

Fifth place finishes in the London Olympics, the 2012 Champions Trophy and this year’s World Cup would have done well to confirm their growing belief that they are among the leading hockey nations. That confidence was further established with their silver medal at the 2013 European Championships and whatever little doubts that remained vanished when they beat Australia in the World League Semifinals later that year.

Full strength

The current squad is determined to go a step further. Belgium have come with a full-strength team that includes Boon, Felix Denayer, Tanguy Cosyns and Jerome Truyens. Another player who has been integral to the rise of the Red Lions is 27-year-old John-John Dohmen. The former captain has 270 caps to his name and is the creative brain on the pitch.

“Can we win the Champions Trophy? Yes of course,” he said. “When I started playing 10 years ago we were really low in the world ranking. Now we are in the top four. We always want to perform and to finish in the highest position possible. We will give everything to win the games.”

Belgium come into the competition on the back of a rigorous two-month camp, which their striker Thomas Briels feels keeps them in good stead.

“We are riding high in confidence. The team is continuously working hard to put up their best performance in every game. Hopefully, we can go a step ahead this time,” he said.